Children's Hospital Trust

Click here for an overview on the Children's Hospital Trust and the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital.

Who is the Children's Hospital Trust?

The Children’s Hospital Trust assists the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital by funding their identified priority capital, equipment research and training projects, while also funding prioritised projects beyond the Hospital's doors, which impact paediatric healthcare in the Western Cape.

The Children’s Hospital Trust was founded in 1994 as the independent Fundraising Arm of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital when the Hospital was threatened with closure due to lack of funding. Since its inception the Trust has supported the Hospital through upgrading its buildings, purchasing vital equipment and funding critical training and research programmes.

100% of all money donated goes directly to the specified projects and programmes at the Hospital as well as projects beyond the Hospital’s doors.

The Children's Hospital Trust is an independent charity and since our inception in 1994 we have been a dedicated children's charity focused on helping sick children in need and are governed by a dedicated and passionate Board of Trustees.

While the Western Cape Government: Health manages the Hospital with an operational budget of R523 million for the 2010/2011 Financial Year, supplementary funding is needed. In order to maintain its role as a leading centre for child health, research and training in Southern Africa, the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital needs ongoing funding support and it is for this reason that the work of the Trust is so vital. As a registered non-profit organisation in South Africa and the UK, the Children's Hospital Trust, relies solely on the generosity of donors to help realise our aims and objectives for this children's hospital in South Africa.

Reliant on Charity Donations

The Children’s Hospital Trust operational costs are funded from an endowment, ensuring that 100% of all donations received go directly to the specified projects and programmes at the Hospital to benefit children. The same ethos will be applied for projects beyond the Hospital’s doors.  Not a cent will be used for administration or operational expenses.

In 1994 a working fund to cover running costs was established by a donation given specifically for this purpose. Subsequently, a portion of interest earned on deposits has boosted the fund. While the Children's Hospital Trust's running costs are covered by interest accrued on a working capital fund, the Trust constantly reviews its cost to income ratio to ensure further accountability to donors.

2011 Brings a new expanded focus

In 2011 Children’s Hospital Trust will fundraise for the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and paediatric healthcare in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Children's Hospital Trust funds identified priority capital, equipment, research and training projects.

In 2011 the Children’s Hospital Trust will continue to assist the Hospital, as it has done for the past 17 years by raising funding to address the many pressing needs at the Hospital. The Trust will also be expanding its funding reach to projects beyond the Hospital’s doors within the Western Cape, which will directly impact paediatric healthcare and thereby indirectly impact patient outcomes and services in the Hospital as well as reduce the burden on the Hospital.

Research conducted by the Children’s Hospital Trust into the gaps in paediatric healthcare confirmed that needs exist outside of the Hospital’s doors which require funding ranging from paediatric safety education to child rehabilitation.
The first Trust expanded-reach fundraising project is the equipping of four Dept. of Health; Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ambulances with additional specialist paediatric equipment. This will improve EMS pre-hospital and inter-hospital services rendered to Neonate and Infant patients in the Western Cape Province.

Learn more about the Children's Hospital Trust ...